6.27.2014

These days, we’ve seen a lot of new bands and artists awesomely talented who produced a lot of good work, even from their very first albums. In this category, let me introduce you to a new 50’s retro band called Ollie Vee. Four gifted guys with a fantastic debut album : “Lonesome Girl”.

From the first listening, the very first note, they captivated my ears and my heart. I must say that the beginning song is also the better one. Which, of course, helped a lot to put me in a good mood for what was up to come. Called “Ruby Red” this magical, simple but nevertheless, powerful song got everything in itself that makes the Ollie Vee’s sound : a soul and a spirit. Something that most people feels it’s vanishing with time in the music business. They certainly need to hear this.

Ollie Vee is on a bridge between here and the past. They walk somewhere where music is king and queen, the alpha and the omega. In their world, it’s all about the atmosphere. Not totally retro, a bit dusty, we feel like in an old road movie we used to watch and love. We enter in an “out of age” diner late at night. There’s no customer inside, the waitress is sweeping the floor and a band is still playing almost for themselves. That how we could describe this strange and moving feeling we got under our skin when we listen to this band.

With Adam Perzia on drums, Jesse Adamson et Johnny Vassos on guitars and Howard Linscott on double bass they know how to be rockin’ in a Chris Isaak style. Between Rockabilly and Honky-Tonk it’s the perfect mix served by a precise and skilled touch. The voice of Jesse got this little twangy style which you can find also on guitars with a lot of old school reverb.

If you are like me, a bit suspicious about retro bands who are often a bit fake, you will enjoy Ollie Vee. They are true because they don’t try to do retro. They just so deeply inspired by those oldies songs and artists, it’s now part of themselves and, obviously, part of their sound. As soon as you listen to this record you’ll be instantly fond of it.